by Aimee John
It’s Monday morning: I like to wake up early to make sure I have enough time to make myself look impeccable. I must wait until after my mother comes in shortly after the sun rises to get up. If she found me awake before going off to milk the cows, she would make me go with her. So, once I hear her come and leave my room, I get up and stand in front of my vanity and mirror. I brush out my hair from their rags and tie it back, then choose out a dress to wear for the day. I still really like to wear my nicer dresses to school because I think it’s important to always look my best, despite mother always telling me how impractical it is. Finally, I pick out a bow that matches my dress and head down for breakfast. We normally have porridge, but occasionally eggs that mother picked from the hens if there are some leftover from her baking the day before.
The majority of my walk to school is done with my brother, Anthony. We very much have a love-hate relationship. We love to come up with mischievous plans together but also get on each other's nerves a lot. We tease each other and push each other around all the way to school. As soon as the other girls are in sight, I speed up away from Anthony to meet them. We discuss all that happened over the weekend. I tell the girls about how I saw Gilbert down at the beach on Saturday morning and how BEAUTIFUL he looked in his bathing costume, swimming in the water.
School starts and most of the girls race to get in first. I, however, always win my race of being the last in the classroom. I always sit up the back. I never have to worry about getting my preferred seat because everyone knows which is mine and they would never dare take it. Recently I’ve been putting a bit more effort into my schooling. Do not be mistaken – I still very much enjoy a good practical joke and seeing Miss Shirley’s fury when I give her a smart-assed answer, but maybe she was right when she said at the start of the year, “another reason why you’re likely to have a successful school year is because for the first time since you were five, you won’t be able to spend every single moment of the school day throwing yourself at Gilbert Blythe”. That definitely hurt at the time... but turns out she was correct. I would NEVER tell her that though!
After school, I stay around and play with Aurelia and Prillie. Mother seems to be fine with me staying out as long as I like “AS LONG AS YOU’RE HOME BY NIGHTFALL”. It surprises me really. She’s always complaining about how Anthony and I are never helping her out around the place, yet if she gives me the freedom to go out and about – I will do just that!
I get home just before dinner as the sun begins to fall. I am so glad that I get home at the time I do because I see that Anthony has been roped into doing some chores. He must have come home earlier since he doesn’t have any friends to play with after school. This is the punishment you get for being a gibfaced jollock.
Night has fallen and I retire to the living area where mother persists to teach me how to sew. I know it’s an important skill to learn but it’s so tedious and time-consuming. I’d much rather spend my time in my room in front of my vanity or coming up with more practical jokes to pull at school tomorrow – either by myself or with Anthony. Anne accuses me of having no imagination, but I sure have plenty when it comes to thinking of ways to get her to accidentally dye her hair green again.
Mother finally dismisses me to go wash up and head to bed. I wash my face, put my hair in rags so that it will be beautiful and curly in the morning, and get into my nightgown. I crawl under my beautiful bed sheets and drift off to sleep. I dream about a simpler life – when where Anne never came to Avonlea and where Gilbert still paid me some attention.